Diary of Francisco Garcés
Exploratory Expedition, 1774
Note. The source used for the Spanish transcription of Garcés' 1774 diary did not include his entries for May, June, and July.
Friday, July 8, 1774 -- On the 8th I traveled three leagues, passing through uninhabited lands of Pimas, and arrived at the village which is called Pitac. Although farther down the river did not run, here there was much water. There is also pasturage in the vicinity and along the current of the river, and so, in view of what I saw before reaching Subtaquisson and in this place, a presidio can be securely established.
In the afternoon I set out just before five o'clock. After going a little more than a league I came to a large well, and with two more leagues to the southeast and twelve leagues to the south I arrived at the Pozos Salados, which were very short of water. Next day, traveling two leagues to the west-southwest, and having rested four times and dozed at brief intervals, at nine o'clock I arrived at Pozo Amargo, which has much water and is an asylum for the Pápagos of this vicinity when their jagueyes or pools of water play out. Near it there was a numerous village and horses, and notwithstanding this the water was very abundant, for the well flows freely, and although the water is somewhat bitter it is not injurious.
Sunday, July 10, 1774 -- The same day it rained. On the 10th I set out at eight in the morning. Passing through lands very well pastured and with some jagueyes or pools of water, and halting twice, I arrived at five in the afternoon at my pueblo of San Javier del Bac, having traveled five leagues to the southeast, three to the south to escape the woods, and two to the east. At a distance of four leagues from Pozo Amargo there is another pozo to the west of Tugson called Cubavi. Since in the time of saguaros and of drought many Indians camp in its vicinity, I judge that it must have an abundance of water, and that with this at all times it will be possible to go out to the northwest from San Xavier as far as the Gila River, and this road has the advantage of very good pasturage.
It is easy to believe that the road for Monte Rey directed to the northwest Of the Gila Pimas, may be shorter and better and not dangerous, because those who might do some damage are not Apaches, but Niforas. This is what I desired and through here the expedition was directed to go, but the coming of the Indian Sebastián completely changed the plan. Then, afterward, the war of the Yumas with the Jalchedunes, together with the reports given by the Soyopas, frustrated my design and that of the señor commander, for it was necessary to obey since it was possible. But, so far as I am concerned, I confess the extreme repugnance which I had for going to experience the trials suffered during my previous journey in those horrible sand dunes. For although Sebastián and Valdés facilitated the passage as soon as they were on the other side of the Colorado, yet the wife and brother of this Sebastián having perished and I having experienced the previous hardships, the thing always looked difficult, as it proved to be. Nevertheless, considering the circumstances of the coming of the Indian and the few men of the expedition, the decision made was in keeping with prudence.
The corporal of Monte Rey, who came with the señor commander, told me that he had come out from San Diego over the mountain to a place very near the wells of Santa Rosa de las Lajas, and that afterward he went to San Gregorio, conquered the sierra to the right, passed a small valley, and ascended another sierra from which he descried groves and beaches which I think are those of the Colorado.
GARCES'S BRIEF ACCOUNT
SEÑOR LIEUTENANT GENERAL DON ANTONIO MARÍA BUCARELI.
MOST EXCELLENT SIR:
Having arrived with all felicity on the 22d of March at the mission of San Gabriel of this California Septentrional, with the expedition destined for the exploration of roads from the Pimería Alta to these new establishments, and having come to the port of San Diego for the purpose of getting some provisions and to talk with the very reverend father president, Fray Junípero Serra, concerning matters relative to the expedition, it has come to my notice that an extraordinary courier is setting out, and this has impelled me to give some information to your Excellency concerning what has happened on the journey, deferring the sending of the diaries till I arrive at the port of Monterrey, whence (at least this is my advice) we shall return by a direct road to the Colorado River in order to accomplish on the return what has not been done in coming.
The journey has been made with all success, without illness or fear of the tribes, although some toils and difficulties have not been lacking. Your Excellency will already have learned the reason why the expedition did not go through the Gileños, in order to take a much higher latitude on the Colorado River, and go from there directly to Monterrey, and that we went instead by way of the mission of Cabohorca, which is distant from Tubac fifty-four leagues, all this journey being purely a detour for the purpose of supplying ourselves with the animals which we lacked.
Tubac to the Gila -- On the 8th of January we set out from Tubac, going by road as far as El Altar, which is well known in Mexico. From El Altar to cabohorca it is seven leagues. From there we set forth on the 22d for Sonóita, going by almost the same road over which I returned from my last journey, and arriving there on the 28th. On the 29th we left Sonóita, and by almost the same road that I took on my return we reached the Gila River at a place very close to its junction with the Colorado.
At the Colorado -- The Indians conducted themselves as well as could be desired, and here lives Captain Palma, of whom your Excellency will already have good accounts, he being the same one whom I mentioned in my diary on the 24th and 25th of August. We crossed the river without any risk, in the neighborhood of the junction of the two streams, and saw that an arm of the Colorado joins the Gila a little above the junction, leaving an island in the middle. We also learned through a Soyopa, whose tribe lives about forty leagues above the Iumas, that another branch separates and, turning in various directions empties into the sea toward the west. The Colorado was measured, and it is ninety-five fathoms wide, not counting the arm which runs into the Gila above the junction of the two rivers. The lands and the people are better than I said in my last diary, in which there are some errors in consequence of my not having seen the junction of these rivers, which I have seen on this occasion. For I was at the junction of these rivers on the 24th of August at eight o'clock in the morning, and therefore all that I say in the diaries about lands and people is to be understood as referring to the Colorado River and lagoons adjacent to it.
I came with urgent instructions from my prelate to write to New Mexico, for which purpose I interrogated two Soyopas, who are the tribe who bring the colored blankets and some blue cloth of very durable sayal, and blue chomite, and other things which they acquire from the people of Moqui, and from missions where, according to the account, it is to be understood there are oxen and small stock. They replied to me, assuring me that they had communication with those people, but the commander having examined one of them, who doubtless presumed that we would go that way, he talked very differently with respect to Moqui and also with respect to Monterrey. Indeed, he admitted that by a large sierra they went out from their country and came to the road which the Spaniards travel in these new establishments, and that the road was short of water and very bad for traveling with animals. This was the reason why the commander did not go straight to the destination to which he was ordered, although I, because of my experience with the Indians, knew that what he said was untrue, and that they intended that we should not go through the country of the Cocomaricopas and Niforas, their enemies.
Likewise we were greatly handicapped in getting information for lack of a good interpreter, which we might have brought but did not because we assumed that this lack would be supplied by the Indian Sebastián Taraval, who had come out from San Gabriel to Sonora.
The Colorado to Santa Olalla -- From the junction of the rivers we traveled six leagues to the southwest, six to the west, and five southwest, and arrived at the Laguna de Santa Olalla, belonging to the villages of Our Father San Francisco, which I mention in my diaries on the 4th and 5th of October. On the 13th of February we set out with some guides for the green well which I called Pozo del Rosario. I saw that San Jácome was to the west and likewise the Sierra de San Gerónimo, and I called this to the attention of the commander and his company, telling them of the difficulties which I had experienced in my former journey. We had traveled that day eight leagues to the west-northwest, and there was no grass whatever in those regions, so we halted at another watering place which was very bad, but had some carrizo for the animals. On the next day, at a distance of two leagues to the west, we came to another watering place of the same qualities. On the 14th the Indians turned back for fear of the people in the country through which we were to pass, but they said that there was a road and water. The latter we found, although with some scarcity, in a well. But such were the inconveniences which the pack train had suffered at the watering places, and those which we expected to encounter in some sand dunes which we had in sight, that it was necessary to return to Santa Olalla, leaving behind half of the load, whose transportation to the laguna was not completed until the 24th of February.
To the lake of San Mateo -- Since a long time was necessary in which to permit the pack train and the cavallada to pasture, and since the commander decided not to ascend the river, I decided to go downstream to see if the Indians of the lake of San Mateo could give me favorable notices regarding any watering place which there might be in the Sierra de San Gerónimo or in its vicinity. My idea was approved by Father Fray Juan and the commander, but the latter informed me that he had decided to start on the first of March.
Santa Olalla -- I traveled two days downstream. The Indians urged me to cross the river on rafts, which I did in order not to displease them. I examined the villages which I had already seen in my last journey, and which I then called Santa Rosa. I wished to go to see the Indians who took me over the Colorado River in my last journey, but they deserted me, saying that they were their enemies. I now gave up this plan, and recrossed the river, which has no ford in this vicinity. Having traveled southwest all that day, and the horse being tired, I returned on foot by direct road. Traveling all that night and all the next day, at noon on the 1st of March I reached the village of Santa Olalla, accompanied by Indian headmen, and very well pleased and satisfied with those people who so greatly assisted me.
Santa Olalla to Sierra de San Gerónimo -- On the 2d of this month of March we set out from the Laguna de Santa Olalla. The first day's journey was four leagues to the village of La Merced; the second three leagues to the south-southwest through the same villages. On the 3d, 4th, and 5th, passing through San Jacome, we traveled twenty leagues to the west-northwest, crossing the Sierra de San Gerónimo. Here we saw a dry lake which fills nearly all the valley and had a large amount of fish stranded on its banks, a sure indication that the sea must have some connection with it. If this is not the case, it must be a lake of formidable size, for it had these fish, and of this same kind, it seems to me, must be those which in my diary I say the Agua Amarilla had. And it may have become dry in this region through the high providence of God, for the place which I saw it was two and a half days' travel from here.
Santa Rosa de las Laxas -- From this place we went five leagues to the west, this being the sixth journey. The seventh was four leagues north and northeast. Here there are some wells which we called Santa Rosa de las Laxas, and I may note that on my last journey I came to a place four leagues east of this watering place, when I saw the two openings. The eighth march was five leagues, directed or traveled to the north; the ninth was seven leagues to the north. Here they told us that Don Pedro Fages and the deserters had passed that way, and the Indians recognized Sevastián and me, for most of them were at San Jacome at the time of my last journey.
San Gabriel -- From this place we traveled seven leagues westnorthwest, this being the tenth march. Then, the eleventh was five leagues northwest, the twelfth five leagues northwest, and the thirteenth five leagues northwest. From here we traveled five leagues northwest and north-northwest. On the fifteenth march, in the afternoon, we halted at a lake, having traveled three leagues northwest. The sixteenth we went three leagues in the same direction to an arroyo called San Patricio. The eighteenth day, which was the seventeenth march, we traveled eight leagues in the same direction. On the nineteenth, changing the direction because of the mires, we traveled north by west four leagues. On the twentieth we traveled seven leagues, six to the west-northwest and then one to the west. The twenty-first march we traveled five leagues west-northwest, and on the twenty-second four leagues in the same direction and succeeded in reaching the mission of San Gabriel, which is distant from San Diego forty leagues, a little more or less.
And so, most Excellent Sir, according to the directions and the distances covered, San Gabriel is one hundred and twenty-six leagues from the Colorado River. From this is to be subtracted the distance covered from the junction of the rivers to Santa Olalla, and then the direct distance remains ninety-nine leagues, for the laguna is close to the river, bearing in mind that many long detours have been made for lack of guides and interpreters, from whom to inquire of the Indians the correct road.
To San Diego -- We struck the trail of Don Pedro Fajes and threaded the pass by which the Indian Sevastián had come out, although not by the same cañada. From this I conclude that in time the road to these new establishments will be greatly shortened, not withstanding that now, having cut the trail of Don Pedro Fages, two roads are already opened, one to San Gabriel and the other to San Diego, and I trust in God that the commander will return directly to the Colorado River from Monterrey, and that the intentions of your Excellency will thus be carried out.
We have asked for a pilot to make observations on our return, and although there is none in the frigate which we found in this harbor, because there are only the captain and his second pilot, it may be that this may be done by some father of these new establishments who may be granted us by the very reverend father Fray Junípero Serra, with whom I have talked about the matter. And if this is not possible, perhaps some one of the expedition, or the reverend father Fray Juan Díaz, may be instructed to make this observation, which is so important, for I think there will be no difficulty in borrowing the instrument.
I have desired that the affair might come out with entire success but a thousand difficulties have interfered with my good wishes. What is certain is that your Excellency, continuing with your measures, so appropriate, will make these two provinces of Monterrey and the Rio Colorado extremely desirable. The latter excels in people and opportunities for agriculture, but the other is superior in pasturage for the raising of stock.
The commander's dealings with the Indians have, been all that might be desired, and he has given evidence of his prudence and perseverance in overcoming difficulties. The soldiers, in spite of coming for several days on foot, have been most willing and have edified me with their patience and obedience. This results from the fact that both the chief and the soldiers have come voluntarily. The observation made by Father Quino, putting the junction of the rivers in 35° 30', is not exact, according to the road, the starting point, and the terminus.
From Monterrey I shall write to your Excellency at length everything that has happened, for now I have not the opportunity, nor does the time permit me, but the commander and Father Fray Juan, who have taken great pains with their diaries, will send them. May God spare your Excellency many years for the service of both Majesties, as I desire. San Diego, April 2, 1774.
Most Excellent Sir, the hand of your Excellency is kissed by your humblest chaplain and servant.
FRANCISCO GARCÉS
Most Excellent Señor Baylio Frey Don Antonio María Bucareli y Ursua.